Deepak Chopra - The Way of the Wizard/Alchemy: The Art of Spiritual Transformation [DVD]

Physician and pop culture phenomenon Deepak Chopra presents two separate lectures on this DVD, both of which deal with a concept Chopra characterizes as "the wizard inside us all." In his introductory remarks, Chopra, addressing an attentive audience on a stage set resembling the exterior of a venerable and warmly lit house, promises to tell how to "find the wizard inside," while noting that this is "a destination and a journey at the same time." Skeptics, of course, may find this to be the most maddening New Age claptrap, but given Chopra's large and devoted following, many viewers will no doubt find his lengthy lecture on finding this elusive wizard to be inspiring. The second presentation on the disc also talks about the wizard, but in relation to the notion of alchemy, meaning a spiritual transformation. Chopra introduces the episode by noting that storytelling can go deeper than a logical lecture. What follows is something of a dramatic reading featuring actors Martin Sheen and Robert Guillaume as Arthur and Merlin, with narrator Joanna Cassidy. Some viewers will no doubt roll their eyes, but Dr. Chopra would placidly contend that those seeking a deeper meaning in their lives may locate wisdom by seeking their "inner wizard." --Robert J. McNamara